Photo by Gregory Van Gansen / Photonews via Getty Images
Photo by Gregory Van Gansen / Photonews via Getty Images
Manchester United have chosen their goalkeeper target, and Senne Lammens’ style of play makes him the ideal fit for Ruben Amorim.
Talks were accelerating over a potential move for Emiliano Martinez recently, with Rio Ferdinand giving him his seal of approval.
However, Senne Lammens always seemed like Man Utd’s first choice, and Martinez the backup option.
Now that an agreement for Lammens has been reached, an analysis of his style of play makes it clear why that was the case in the minds of people at Old Trafford.
Antwerp's Belgian goalkeeper #91 Senne Lammens puts the ball back into play
Photo by VIRGINIE LEFOUR/BELGA/AFP via Getty Images
Senne Lammens style of play
Senne Lammens’ style of play can best be described as the “best of both worlds”, because goalkeepers, broadly, can be divided into two categories.
The first are the old-school shot-stoppers, who are being pushed out of the modern game, where every team wants to play out from the back, which is where the second category comes in.
Those are the ball-playing goalkeepers, a dream that was sold to Man Utd fans in the form of Andre Onana, which has firmly turned into a nightmare.
It is brilliant, then, to say that Lammens’ playing style can eventually become the best of both worlds.
Lammens prevented 14.5 goals last season for Antwerp based on the shots he faced, which led the league by some distance.
He’s an ace penalty-stopper, facing six last season and managing to stop four, and his save percentage of 80% ranks him in the 93rd % among goalkeepers beyond the top-five leagues in the next 14 competitions (as per FBRef).
Clearly, he’s an already impressive shot-stopper with the potential to be a generational one.
Now comes the second part, which is where he has shown signs of being great, but he’s not there yet.
Fans tired of watching Onana and Bayindir make unforced errors leading to goals will be happy with the first part alone, but Lammens can be potentially great at the buildup part too.
Senne Lammens 2024/25 FBRef analysis
Senne Lammens 2024/25 FBRef analysis
At Antwerp, he’s not regularly asked to play audacious passes, but 43.46 touches per game speak of a player who’s willing to get involved in the game.
Most of his goal-kicks are short, but he’s capable of using both feet, which can be coached to become press-resistant eventually.
He has all the tools to excel at the ball-playing part eventually, which, in addition to his already impressive shot-stopping skills, makes him a rare breed of goalkeeper who is the best of both worlds.
United in Focus spoke to Belgian journalist David Van den Broeck, who covers Antwerp and watched Lammens regularly last season.
Van den Broeck says that Lammens doesn’t make mistakes often, which will be music to the ears of United fans.
He said: “He [Senne Lammens] is a keeper who seldom makes mistakes. Only sometimes, when he’s a bit too relaxed, when he’s passing to his defenders, does a mistake happen.
“There are no mistakes in shot-stopping. He only had one season as a professional [at the highest level]. He’s good in the air, but let’s see with all those big players in the Premier League who attack in the air! He’s good with both feet as well.”
From his comments, it is clear that Lammens is a diamond in the rough who has shown signs of greatness.
The role at Old Trafford will be as much about his mentality as it will be about his talent, though. That’s where Lammens will need to excel.
The plus side is that he will come into a team that has low expectations of their goalkeeper. The only way is up.